Alpine - 7" Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Bluetooth Digital Media Receiver - Black

I have had my eye on this deck for a while now. Coming from an ILX-207, there are significant upgrades compared to what I was used to with that one. While you can read about all the major features that the -507 has, a few things impress me most are what is not mentioned in the specs. 1. The -507 connection speed from power on to hearing Bluetooth music is blazingly quick when compared to the -207. I am finding that it takes less than 10 seconds from turning the key to hearing the music. In my older unit, it cold take 30 seconds or even longer for the Bluetooth to start playing. 2. The MediaXpander button. This option has made such a difference in the sound quality to my ears. My previous Alpine -207 sounded great but this MX feature takes it to a whole new level of clarity and richness that my car didn't have before. 3. There's a subwoofer control slider on the -507 that eliminates the need for an amplifier bass knob. I know rotary knobs are easy enough to dial in the bass as needed but having it on the touch screen (and not somewhere out of sight) makes bass adjustments quick and easy. 4. I don't have it yet, but there is also an optional Bluetooth remote volume/subwoofer knob RUX-H02 which is compatible with the -507. I've read the reviews and realize I must bump the knob before starting the car but I am ok with that. This knob will also completely negate the need for an amp bass knob since it pulls double duty as a volume/bass knob. In closing, you buy the -507 for the HD screen, for the wireless AA/CP and the Alpine sound quality you expect but you get so much more. Yes the touch screen can be finicky when trying to set up each channel of the parametric equalizer but that's really a one time frustration. Other than that, this deck has exceeded my expectations and I am super pleased with my purchase.

The Alpine ILX-507 has some appealing features, but the screen was smaller than anticipated. Given the price, there are other options on the market that offer similar or better value for less. Unfortunately, my experience with the installation service at Best Buy was extremely disappointing. The installer damaged half my speakers, my subwoofer, and even cracked the dashboard panels. They returned the car without mentioning any of these issues, leaving me to discover the damage on my own. Now, I'm having to escalate this situation to a District Director to address the costly repairs needed to fix the installer’s mistakes.

Amazing unit! It does it all really well. Kudos to Troy at Plano, TX Best Buy for the flawless install.